Strange experience waking up realisi g that the casa lady slept on the couch in the lounge.... I repack my bags and we go for a coffee in Havana Vieja around 8:00. Some tourist activity when we visit the Havana Club expo/museum. Really interesting explanation and display of how rum is made. Jeneen buys Havana Club glasses and due to my baggage limitations, I have to be satisfied with buying 8 cocktail stirrers. On the way to the arts and crafts market we see one of the strangest sights I've seen in a long time - a lady squatting on the pavement, pulling up her skirt and peeing!!! What a sight! Inge and I yet again do well to buy some paintings and almost 2 hours later we decide to go back to the casa, have a shower, finish packing and then to go for lunch before Natika and I head off to the airport. I enjoy my last Pollo Grille and Cristal beer. We see tourists 'fresh off the boat' and I envy them the trip they have lying ahead.
We arrive at the airport 2,5 hours before our flight. We'd assumed it would give us enough time. Big mistake - huge! We first stand in the check-in queue, then in just as long a queue to pay our 25CUC airport tax, then off to the passport control queue. 20 minutes before our flight departure time we are still not close to being in front and Natika asks an airport lady who sends us to another slightly shorter queue. It takes ages for each person to come through Just when we're next in line the box closes! We go to the one next to it and FINALLY get through with less than 10 minutes before our flight - still needing to go through security. The panic on our faces allow us to go through to the front and then I hear someone asking me where the official papers are for the paintings sticking out on the side of my basket. I obviously don't have and explaining we have 5 minutes left before our flight departure time saves me and I run - arriving just in time!
Looking back out of the window with the island becoming smaller, I have mixed emotions. Sad to say goodbye, grateful for the wonderful experience, satisfied that everything worked together so well and priviledged to always carry a piece of this wonderful island with me. Hopefully some of the over 2600 photo's will allow me to share something of the island.
Gracias chiquas for an unforgettable road trip.